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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 21: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at TD Garden on January 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by China Wong/Getty Images)
Winners of three straight games going into Friday night’s trap game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Boston Celtics were looking to hold onto the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Catching the Detroit Pistons for the top seed is very unlikely at this point. However, Boston is looking to hold off the New York Knicks for the second seed. That would give them home-court advantage in a potential second-round series in the playoffs.
Going into Memphis looked like a lay-up for the Celtics on paper. The Grizzlies were missing 11 roster players. They were rolling out a roster of players on 10-day contracts, looking to carve out a role beyond those 10 days for the rest of the season. Instead of rolling to a win, Boston had to go down to the wire against an upstart group in a 117-112 win. After the game, Jaylen Brown didn’t beat around the bush about his performance and his team’s performance.
Boston Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Gives Memphis Credit
If you don’t follow Memphis or are a casual NBA fan, you really needed to dig deep to figure out who the Grizzlies were playing against the Celtics. Some big names were out of their lineup. Ja Morant, Scottie Pippen, Jr., Zach Edy, Cedric Coward, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Brandon Clarke were some of the names missing.
Instead, Memphis rolled out Tyler Burton and DeJon Jarreau, both of whom were on 10-day contracts. Former Virginia standout Ty Jerome, who has missed 46 games this season with an injury, played and played well. Still, Boston led by one point at halftime and trailed by four after three quarters. They outscored Memphis, 33-24, in the fourth quarter to pull out the win.
“Give credit to Memphis,” said Brown. “They came out and played well. They played hard. They was just making a lot of shots and we had to find a way to get some stops. We watched some more film but they came out and outplayed what we thought [they were]. We weren’t super familiar with a lot of those guys and they just came out and had a great game.”
Brown led the Celtics with 30 points and six assists, but he wasn’t happy with his performance against Memphis.
“I think today I was a little more inefficient than I would have liked,” Brown said. “I missed some layups and some easy shots that I normally can make. But Memphis is an aggressive, physical team so I just came out and did my thing.”
Boston Celtics Keep Pace in Eastern Conference Playoff Race
At this point in the season, a win is a win, and you move on. However, losing to a very shorthanded Memphis team would have been bad, considering the Celtics upcoming schedule. They host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, before the Oklahoma City Thunder visit on Wednesday night.
However, as good teams go, when push came to shove late, Boston did what they had to do to pick up a win and remain 1.5 games ahead of the Knicks for the second seed.
“We weren’t playing to our standards and I think it was more so on defense,” Brown said. “Once we found a way to get them to miss, we knew the game would be in our favor. We just had a hard time with that throughout the first three quarters, and the fourth quarter we was able to come through.
“Sometimes the wounded animal is more dangerous. Those guys came in free, came in and played hard. Sometimes those games are tough, but we found a way to win.”
Boston’s seed will be determined over the next couple of weeks, but one thing is for sure: they can’t take anyone lightly, no matter who is and who isn’t in anyone’s lineup. Minnesota is a good team coming in on Sunday night, but they will be without Anthony Edwards, who recently suffered an injury. Minnesota may not be wounded, but they’ll be shorthanded. It’ll be another test for the Celtics ahead of the Thunder.